DIVA [ˈdiːva] (noun): An operatic prima donna. A female version of a hustler. A usually glamorous and successful female performer or personality. A woman who has self-confidence, self-respect, and hella swagger. She knows who she is and exactly where she is going.
True divas should be treated with respect for their enormous talent and strong will.

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Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Happy Birthday Daddy B

One Sunday morning, April 13, 1952, Michael Len Bradley was born in Hickman, KY. The youngest of 3 children, Little Mikey and his family moved all over the state of Kentucky along the Ohio River where his father worked first as a barge pilot and then on the WPA-produced Ohio River dam projects (Thank you FDR for those We Piddle Around projects). Mike was a mischevious young boy who often found his way into trouble with cousin Dennis, but mostly Mike played along the river (blowing up rats with firecrackers) and played baseball where he grew to be a mean southpaw (that's a left-handed pitcher for those not in-the-know). The Bradley family finally settled in Cannelton, IN when Mike was in the 7th grade, and he stayed here until he finished out high school. Mike was a talented trumpet player in the high school marching band, played guitar in a band called the Front Cover, participated in varsity basketball, football, track, and baseball. He was voted Most attractive his senior year, and as captain of the (winless) football team was forced to kiss the homecoming queen during halftime with girlfriend Susi Huber standing by with a stopwatch to time the kiss. He and Susi began dating right before Mike's freshman year in highschool when Susi approached him to ask him how to play a certain chord in the song by the Animals, "House of the Rising Sun." (Really, this was a ploy as Susi was a forward girl and really this was her way of meeting Mike and getting him to ask her out. The ploy must have worked. We women are so smart- making it seem like it is the guy's idea, when really we are planting those little ideas into their heads... but I digress).Mike graduated high school and went on to Murray State University where he majored in communications and pledged the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Mike had the distinct honor of receiving the Chicken Sh*t Active award for being the worst hazer out of all the actives. However, hazing back then is not what it is today. Mike made the Pike pledges do fun things like clean his apartment floor with a toothbrush and memorize facts about country music singer Tom T. Hall. Girlfriend Susi followed Mike to Murray State where she "helped" him through school, and he eventually received his Bachelor's degree. Mike and Susi married in 1973 and then moved to Nashville where Mike sucessfully pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a recording engineer. He was named Music Row Magazine's Engineer of the year 4 years in a row, and currently manages and co-owns Soundshop Recording Studios right off Music Row in dowtown Nashville. Mike, or Dad as we call him, is a great father, always going out of his way to make his family comfortable, was a softball coach for Laura, helped construct a larger-than-life paper mache' Alligator for my 2nd grade class, and camped with us in the backyard when we were little. Now he and I talk about music and spiritual subjects, and watch Kentucky football and basketball together. Favorites include the Rolling Stones, homemade vanilla ice cream, and his 1982 Heritage Softtail model Harley Davidson.Happy 53rd Birthday, Dad! Here's to 53 more!

What a great tribute to your dad. I'm sure you are one project he is proud to have his name on. Of course, that Billy Gilman album was pretty hot, too, but still....

I'll be bringing a group of 6 to see you perform on Friday. Guess we'll have to sit through hearing all those other people on stage with you, as well. I'm hoping if we're there by 7pm we'll get decent seats--correct me if I'm wrong. Do be careful not to get sick or injured between now and then...hate to waste 14 bucks, you know!

I'm closing in on finishing a song that came out of our South Africa experience ('but time!); can't wait to share it with you (and them, Lord willing I get to go back this Fall). Tin Pan South must have fed my muse; I've had a burst of creative output lately. "Wow, I can still do this!"

The TPS highlight for me was the Sat. early show at the Bluebird with Ashley Cleveland, Craig Carothers, Danny Flowers and Bill Lloyd. Hilarious and spiritually nourishing as well. In the middle of a song called "I Can't Do Anything Right" that didn't quite make it as the theme for "Malcolm In The Middle," Bill Lloyd shouts "I wanna rock!" as he launches into the bridge--and accidentally stomps his tuner pedal, turning the signal off on his guitar--a real show-stopper (not that he actually stopped playing).